Editor’s note: City Councilor Julie Wolfe asked for this correction to the City Council story in the Nov. 18 Bulletin.
Councilor John Shada stated that he would have liked council to vote in favor of a 10-month moratorium on new construction applications for new development. That way, new construction development would be approved after City Council is done revising the land-use code.
Shada explained, however, that it was apparent from each councilor’s comments that only three of the seven were in favor of a moratorium.
Councilors Shada, Chandler and Wolfe all spoke on behalf of a moratorium.
Since the moratorium can’t pass with just three votes, Shada proposed a compromise, making a few small changes to Manitou’s land-use building laws now, which would apply to new development.
The changes would then be revised again in August, when the Planning Code is revised.
Shada moved to adopt the suggestions in a memo prepared by Senior Planner Michelle Anthony. That memo recommends that a new building must be 15 feet from the road, not 10; building height will be limited to 35 feet; and construction would be approved only if the developer submitted a satisfactory environmental impact statement.
The motion carried 4 to 2, with Bremner, Fortuin, Johnson, Graham and Shada voting for the compromise, and Chandler and Wolfe voting against.
The wording of the new construction ordinance will be discussed at a work session in December, but will not be on the agenda for first and second reading until January.